Asking good questions about the past
Students start the year learning how historians work. They build research questions, weigh whether a source is trustworthy, and practice backing up a claim with evidence instead of opinion.
What does a student learn in
This is the year social studies shifts from learning about communities to investigating them. Students ask their own questions, weigh whether a source is trustworthy, and back up their claims with evidence. They look at how governments work, how money moves through markets, how maps explain where people live, and how the past shapes today. By spring, students can write a short argument about a historical or current issue and point to the sources that support it.
- Asking research questions
- Using sources
- Government and citizens
- Markets and money
- Maps and regions
- Historical evidence
- Diverse perspectives
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Government and being a citizen
Students look at how Maryland, the federal government, and tribal governments are set up and how they work together. They also study the rights and responsibilities that come with citizenship and how laws shape daily life.
- 3
Money, choices, and markets
Students weigh trade-offs in everyday decisions and see how prices and competition move goods around the world. They also pick up the basics of saving, spending, credit, and investing.
- 4
Maps, places, and movement
Students read maps and photos to spot patterns in where people live and why. They look at how Maryland's land shapes daily life and how migration spreads food, language, and customs.
- 5
Change over time in Maryland and beyond
Students trace what has shifted and what has stayed the same across long stretches of history. They compare how different groups in Maryland experienced the same events and build arguments about cause and effect.
- 6
Many voices, fights for fairness
Students close the year studying the contributions of different communities in Maryland, the country, and the world. They look at past and present movements for equal rights and consider how to share what they have learned.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.
Inquiry, Disciplinary Skills, and Processes
Inquiry, Disciplinary Skills, and Processes
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Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries
Students write a big "why" or "how" question worth digging into, then plan out the steps to investigate it using maps, sources, and historical evidence.
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Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence
Students decide which sources to trust, then use details from those sources to back up a point they want to make.
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Communicate Conclusions
Students present what they found from their research by writing, speaking, or creating something visual, then connect their conclusions to a real action or decision that matters beyond the classroom.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop Questions and Plan Inquiries | Students write a big "why" or "how" question worth digging into, then plan out the steps to investigate it using maps, sources, and historical evidence. | MD-SS.INQ.6.1 |
| Evaluate Sources and Use Evidence | Students decide which sources to trust, then use details from those sources to back up a point they want to make. | MD-SS.INQ.6.2 |
| Communicate Conclusions | Students present what they found from their research by writing, speaking, or creating something visual, then connect their conclusions to a real action or decision that matters beyond the classroom. | MD-SS.INQ.6.3 |
Civics
Civics
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Civic Reasoning and Participation
Civic virtues are habits like fairness, honesty, and respect for others. Students use those habits to think through real decisions at school and in their community, the same way citizens do when choosing leaders or making laws.
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Government Institutions
Students compare how Maryland's state government, the federal government, and tribal governments are each set up and what each one is responsible for. The standard also looks at how these governments relate to and work alongside each other.
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Rights, Laws, and Public Issues
Students examine what rights Americans have and what responsibilities come with them, then look at how specific laws and policies try to solve real problems happening today.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Civic Reasoning and Participation | Civic virtues are habits like fairness, honesty, and respect for others. Students use those habits to think through real decisions at school and in their community, the same way citizens do when choosing leaders or making laws. | MD-SS.CIV.6.1 |
| Government Institutions | Students compare how Maryland's state government, the federal government, and tribal governments are each set up and what each one is responsible for. The standard also looks at how these governments relate to and work alongside each other. | MD-SS.CIV.6.2 |
| Rights, Laws, and Public Issues | Students examine what rights Americans have and what responsibilities come with them, then look at how specific laws and policies try to solve real problems happening today. | MD-SS.CIV.6.3 |
Economics
Economics
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Economic Decision Making
Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and pick the one that makes the most sense given the tradeoffs.
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Markets and Exchange
Markets are places where buyers and sellers set prices and decide who gets what. Students examine how competition shapes those prices across local businesses, national industries, and world trade.
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Personal Finance
Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit creates debt, and what it means to invest for the future.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Decision Making | Students look at two or more choices, weigh what each one costs against what it gains, and pick the one that makes the most sense given the tradeoffs. | MD-SS.ECON.6.1 |
| Markets and Exchange | Markets are places where buyers and sellers set prices and decide who gets what. Students examine how competition shapes those prices across local businesses, national industries, and world trade. | MD-SS.ECON.6.2 |
| Personal Finance | Students learn how money decisions work in real life: why saving matters, how credit creates debt, and what it means to invest for the future. | MD-SS.ECON.6.3 |
Geography
Geography
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Geographic Representations
Students read maps, photos, and location data to compare places, spot patterns across regions, and answer geographic questions.
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Human-Environment Interaction
Students study how people change the land around them and how the land shapes how people live. They look at real examples, including places in Maryland, where geography has influenced farming, cities, or industry.
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Movement and Connections
Students study why people move to new places, where they tend to settle, and how ideas, languages, and customs spread from one region to another over time.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Representations | Students read maps, photos, and location data to compare places, spot patterns across regions, and answer geographic questions. | MD-SS.GEO.6.1 |
| Human-Environment Interaction | Students study how people change the land around them and how the land shapes how people live. They look at real examples, including places in Maryland, where geography has influenced farming, cities, or industry. | MD-SS.GEO.6.2 |
| Movement and Connections | Students study why people move to new places, where they tend to settle, and how ideas, languages, and customs spread from one region to another over time. | MD-SS.GEO.6.3 |
History
History
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Continuity and Change
Students look at how life, government, and society have shifted over time and what has stayed the same, from Maryland's early history to events happening around the world.
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Perspectives
Students read about the same historical event from different points of view, including the experiences of groups who don't always make it into the main story. They practice asking whose voice is missing and why that matters.
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Causation and Argumentation
Students examine why major historical events happened and what followed from them, then build a written argument backed by real evidence from sources.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity and Change | Students look at how life, government, and society have shifted over time and what has stayed the same, from Maryland's early history to events happening around the world. | MD-SS.HIST.6.1 |
| Perspectives | Students read about the same historical event from different points of view, including the experiences of groups who don't always make it into the main story. They practice asking whose voice is missing and why that matters. | MD-SS.HIST.6.2 |
| Causation and Argumentation | Students examine why major historical events happened and what followed from them, then build a written argument backed by real evidence from sources. | MD-SS.HIST.6.3 |
Peoples of the Nation and World
Peoples of the Nation and World
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Diverse Communities and Cultures
Students examine the lives, ideas, and achievements of different groups of people, from Maryland neighborhoods to countries around the world, to understand how varied backgrounds shape history and daily life.
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Movements for Equity
Students examine real movements for fairness, such as civil rights campaigns or labor protests, and ask what changed, what stayed the same, and why people organized to demand equal treatment under the law.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Diverse Communities and Cultures | Students examine the lives, ideas, and achievements of different groups of people, from Maryland neighborhoods to countries around the world, to understand how varied backgrounds shape history and daily life. | MD-SS.PEOPLES.6.1 |
| Movements for Equity | Students examine real movements for fairness, such as civil rights campaigns or labor protests, and ask what changed, what stayed the same, and why people organized to demand equal treatment under the law. | MD-SS.PEOPLES.6.2 |
No state assessments at this grade
Students take their next one in Grade 8.
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.
- When given:
- biennial in winter
- Frequency:
- every two years
Common Questions
What does sixth grade social studies actually cover?
Students study how governments work, how money and markets work, how maps and regions shape life, and how the past connects to today. They look at Maryland alongside the wider country and world. Expect a mix of civics, economics, geography, and history rather than one long timeline.
How can families support this work at home?
Talk about the news at dinner and ask who is affected and why. Look at a map together when a place comes up in conversation. When students make a claim about something, ask where they heard it and whether the source is trustworthy.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students can ask a real research question, find solid sources, and back up a claim with evidence from those sources. They can explain how a government decision, a market, or a map shapes daily life. They can also see an event from more than one group's point of view.
How should the year be sequenced across four disciplines?
Many teachers anchor each quarter in one discipline while threading inquiry skills through all of them. A common path is geography first to set the stage, then history, then civics, then economics, with Maryland examples woven throughout. Keep source work and argument writing as recurring routines, not a single unit.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Judging whether a source is credible is the biggest one. Students also struggle to use evidence to support a claim instead of just summarizing what they read. Plan to revisit both skills in every unit rather than teaching them once in the fall.
How can a parent help with a research project at home?
Ask students to say their question out loud and name two sources they plan to use. Have them tell who wrote each source and why that matters. Reading a short article together and talking about it for ten minutes does more than hours of silent searching.
What personal finance ideas come up this year?
Students learn the basics of saving, spending, credit, and investing, and start weighing trade-offs when money is involved. At home, let them see real choices: comparing prices at the store, talking about a monthly bill, or setting a savings goal for something they want.
How do Maryland topics fit into a course that also covers the world?
Use Maryland as the close-up example for bigger ideas. When studying government, look at how the state and federal levels interact. When studying movement and settlement, look at Maryland's regions and communities alongside national and global patterns.
How do students learn to see more than one perspective on history?
They read short pieces from different groups who lived through the same event and compare what each one noticed or felt. Over time they learn that leaving out a perspective changes the story. Asking whose voice is missing becomes a regular habit.
How do I know students are ready for seventh grade?
They can write a short argument with a clear claim and two pieces of evidence from sources they chose. They can read a map or chart and explain what it shows. They can also describe how a rule, a market, or a moment in history affects people differently.